CPS-3 Screen

SNKJorge

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What does this screen mean?

cps3.jpg


I turned my cab on, and it won't let me pass this. what is it? Thanks for
any help in advance.
 

SNKJorge

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Witchboard said:
I wonder if your game just slit it's wrists?

As in dead?
The dead screen of CPS-3 games is different I believe.
I tried other games, and the motherboard just doesn't pass this screen.
 

taitai

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That screen says that there's no memory casette(the cartridge?) inserted.
 

Razoola

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Or maybe it means no CD inserted, I doubt it would boot at all with no security cart inserted.

Raz
 

racecar

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..i understand 2 letter's on there.. something about... power :annoyed:
 

taitai

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Razoola said:
Or maybe it means no CD inserted, I doubt it would boot at all with no security cart inserted.

Raz

No, that first sentance is "geemu ni hitsuyou na memorii kasetto sareteimasen."

Should mean "This game's necessary memory casette isn't inserted." Something like that.

Could be wrong CD. But there's definitally something up with the cart or the cart slot.
 

Razoola

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Maybe it means one of the simms is missing then. It certinally wouldent boot at all if the security cart was missing so I can't see the message relating to that in any way.

Raz
 

SNKJorge

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Weird thing is that it was working, it has all the neccessary memory dimms
for 3rd strike etc.. I tried unplugging everything but nothing.
 

Witchboard

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SNKJorge said:
As in dead?
The dead screen of CPS-3 games is different I believe.
I tried other games, and the motherboard just doesn't pass this screen.
Just speculation on my part. I know neither Japanese nor the CPSIII hardware. I'm glad to see that my worst case scenario looks to be debunked.
 

SNKJorge

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Witchboard said:
Just speculation on my part. I know neither Japanese nor the CPSIII hardware. I'm glad to see that my worst case scenario looks to be debunked.

In the mean time I will have to look for another Mobo here soon.
 

Razoola

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have you tried making sure the CD spins up at power on as games always check for the CD.

Raz
 

Witchboard

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SNKJorge said:
In the mean time I will have to look for another Mobo here soon.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but this FAQ verifies that the game did not suicide. However, I don't see any information on what you're experiencing either. Hope you get it figured out before having to purchase new hardware.
 

SNKJorge

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Razoola said:
have you tried making sure the CD spins up at power on as games always check for the CD.

Raz

Yeah it does the initial spin, but after that message appears in doesn't do
crap. I wonder what the message says, anyone fluent in Japanese know
exactly what it says?
 

SNKJorge

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Now, maybe one of the memory dimms die?

I replaced 3 of the memory sticks, the two on the right, and the first on
the top left (1, 2, 3). They're all numbered in this order:

Code:
----------------
| 3  = = = 1 |       
| 4  = = = 2 |
| 5
| 6
| 7
----------------

My 3rd Strike had all but the last (7) slot filled and it worked alright for
about 6 months or so now.
 

SNKJorge

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capo said:
try to clean the memory dimms.

Yeah, that's what I was told. I will go ahead and clean the whole thing, and see
what happens.
 

Ven

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Fired up my CPS3 for the first time last night--same error message. But I can read a little Japanese, and I got it working, and figured out what it meant.

You get that error when you try to load a game with the wrong rom configuration. It's a generic error, meaning the roms don't match the CD/cart combo being fed to it.

The reason why your other games don't work is because they require a different combination of roms in the right slots. Plus, if one of the DIMMS is actually damaged, that doesn't help set-up matters either.

In any case, if 3rd Strike was working, then suddenly stopped working, with that error message, then it's probably one of the following:

1. Bad DIMM connection (dirty/loose/not sitting right)

2. Broken DIMM

3. Broken interface to the DIMMS on the board, at some point

A suicided security cart means a black screen. The mainboard itself does not suicide, just like a CPS2 A board.

If you have the right security cart/rom setup, but the CD isn't in the drive, you will get a different error message, asking you to put the right CD in and press Player 1, Button 1.

My recommendation is this:

First, check your DIMM config. You said you replaced some of the roms--make sure that they are formatted correctly. CPS3 roms come formatted as PRG or CHR (maybe SND, haven't seen it yet). There is a sticker on them that says so. The two slots on the right in your diagram are for 64Mb PRG roms, and nothing else. The five slots on the left in your diagram are for 32- 128Mb CHR roms.

Your 3rd Strike rev. calls for two PRG roms, and four 128Mb CHR roms. So if you swap any of those out, they have to have the same sticker.

What matters is that you have the right number of roms in the right slots, and that you meet or exceed the size required for the game. This means that if a game requires CHR roms of 128/128/64, 128/128/128 will work.

If the config is correct, well, you said you already cleaned them. If I were cleaning mine, I would hit the contacts with something like alcohol+water, scrubbing them with a cotton swab until they shine. Then I'd shoot compressed air into the slots.

Also, make sure all the roms are seated just right. When you put them in, tilt them back a little and push down until they drop fully in the slots. Then, they should lean fully back with practically no resistance, with the plastic tabs fitting right into the holes on either side of the rom board.

If that doesn't work, things get tricky.

Grab another game--one with less of a space requirement, like SF3:NG (128/128/64 CHR and 1 PRG rom). Then, with less roms in the slots, you can narrow down which ones aren't working. Basically, keep switching out the extra roms from the 3rd Strike config, and note which roms let you load the game, and which do not.

If you need the right setup for another game, that faq that was posted is great, but remember that the rom formats/banks are more important than meeting the sizes exactly. Also, remember to start loading them from the edge of the board, going inward, from largest to smallest size.

If you can't get the older game to work, well, it's either lots of dead roms or a damaged board. Both are bad news.

Since it still boots up to an error message, this would probably mean that only your DIMM slots are damaged. From what you've described, the chances that it is from physical damage are slim. It would probably be from electronic damage... maybe a surge, brownout, or a nearby lightning strike. From now on, I would definitely have your cab plugged into, at the very least, a low-end battery-backup UPS, to even out the AC power through the battery.

Anyways, if it's just one or two of the roms, I'd look for CPS3 upgrade kits, with spare roms in them. If it is worse, well, if you think about it, you might as well get a new board. A CPS3 board isn't any good without at least the basic set of working roms, and the cheapest way to get a new set of working roms would probably be buying an entirely new board.

Of course, if you wanted to, you could use the new board's roms to track down the problem on the old board. But if you just want your game back up and running, it might not be worth the trouble.

- Ven
 
Last edited:

EVIL NICK

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Just a small clarification on the stickers on the SIMMs...

It doesn't matter what they say on the sticker ( PRG, CHR or etc. ) . Mine all say stuff like SIM 1 , SIM 2 and so on...

As long as the size is right, they'll work ( The size can be checked on the part number under the Capcom logo on the SIMM. )

Although if you swap out SIMMS, you will have to reload the game, which will take 30+ mins. for 3rd Strike, during which a blackout will make it dead. :(
 

Ven

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Yeah, that's what all the faqs say, but what happened to me contradicts that.

Warzard and SF3:NG require 128/128/64 on the left, and 64 on the right, according to faqs and images I've seen.

My board came with 2nd impact. Three 128Mb DIMMS labeled CHR 1, 2, and 3. Two 64Mb DIMMS labeled PRG 1 and 2.

I tried to load Warzard and SF3:NG with all the roms in, didn't work.

So I put CHR 1 and 2 and PRG 2 on the left. 128/128/64. Then I put PRG 1 on the right, 64. Tried to load Warzard, and it refused--gave me that "incorrect ram config" error. Tried to load SF3, same error.

But when I put in CHR 1, CHR 2, CHR 3, and PRG 1, both games worked.

I've been thinking, maybe ones marked SIM are universal, but ones marked "CHR" or "PRG" can ONLY be used for that, due to some kind of preformatting.

But if that is the case, and the labels on the rom DO matter, then it could make replacing roms on boards a bit more difficult.

It's a guess, but it's possible that Capcom went to universal roms marked "SIM" around Jojo's, but that when CPS3 came out, they were specifically labeled and formatted. That sounds like them... initially paranoid, then cost-effective later.

I may be wrong, but I recall the 3rd Strike upgrade kits coming with entirely new sets of roms, which means that the older flash roms probably weren't intended to be used on newer games. And I've rarely seen upgrade kits as it is... usually, CPS3 games just came with a new board.

That might complicate Jorge's problem. If his 3rd Strike roms went bad, he might not be able replace them with roms from just any CPS3 setup.

Hope you can get it fixed. :(

- Ven
 
Last edited:

SNKJorge

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I will try to fix it this weekend. I will post the outcome later. To think that,
that other faq says CPS-3 hardware isn't fragile :shame:
 

EVIL NICK

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I mixed up at least one other SIMM from a non-TS setup, and it works in my TS...

I think I'll test this out over the coming weekend... ;) I think I remember booting 2I on a board that I put all different SIMMs on , some SIM, some PRG... Maybe I got lucky?

I'll find out this week-end... ;)
 
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